Communications and alumni relations: What is the correlation between an institution's communications vehicles and alumni annual giving?

This paper examines the relationship between colleges’ communications pieces and their undergraduate alumni giving. In order to test the question, 250 surveys were mailed to annual giving and development directors at private US colleges that were members of the Council of Advancement and Support of Education. Fifty-eight surveys were returned. The analysis revealed that the overall number of communications pieces sent to alumni was not associated with higher alumni giving levels or participation. The frequency with which certain communication pieces were sent was positively associated with giving: alumni magazines and alumni electronic newsletters. For annual fund and campaign appeal letters, the results were mixed; there was some positive association with alumni giving and some negative association with alumni giving.